Improvement in bee-hives



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Massy JOHN WOOD, O F ALERT, OHIO.

Letters Patent No. 85,884, dated Janna/ry 12, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT 1N BEE-arves.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Woon, of Alert, Butler county, Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bee-Hives; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

The iirst part of my improvements relates more particularly to the working-chamber of the hive; and

My invention consists in constructing it in such a manner as to insure the most thorough and complete ventilation, which is eiiected by devices that permit a ee passage of air, and yet exclude the light; and as it is well known that bees will stop up any opening through which light penetrates, the advantages resulting from this improvement cannot be over-estimated.

The second partof my invention consists in connect ing the door to the breeding-chamber, so that it cannot become warped, either by the heat of the sun, or the warmth generated by the,bees.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is avertical section through a hive embody ing my improvements.

Figure 2 is horizontal section through the workingchamhex, at the line X-X.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section through the breed-v ing-chamber, at the line Y-Y.

Figure 4 is au elevation of a portion of one end ot the hive, showing one of the ventilators in its closed position.

Figure 5 is a perspective view 'of a portion of the breeding-chamber, with the working-chamber lifted up, so as to permit of the doors to the breeding-chamber being opened.

The breeding-chamber, which is situated lat the bottom of the hive, consists of a rectangular box, whose iioor A, and two of its sides, B B', are rigidly attached to the legs C C', D D'.

The side, B, of the chamber is provided with a customary opening, E, through which the bees enter, and this opening isV guarded by a drone-arrester, F, whose apertures, f, are suiiiciently large to admit the working bees, and yet small enough to exclude the drones.

The doors G Gr', which form the other two sides ci' the breeding-chamber, are adapted to enter rebates b in the front side B, and these doors are maintained in their closed condition by the housing H of the workngchamber, which fits over the top of said doors and the sides B B', as seen in iigs. 1 and 5.

The edges l/ y of the doors, and (l ll of the legs D D', are chamfered oil', so as to permit oi' the doors being readily opened, whenever the housing H is elevated.

The doors G G are provided with Windows I I' and shutters The breeding-chamber is furnished with the customary frames J.

The Vworking-chamber' consists of a floor, K, two walls, L L', and a cap or cover, M, to whose lower side is att-ached a piece of linen, m, which forms the 'N which, entering suitable sockets in the sides B B of the breediiig-chamber, prevent any accidental displacement ofthe working-chamber.

The iioor K is provided with apertures k, which permit of the bees passing readily from one chamber to another'.

Suspended from the walls L L of the Working-chamber are the customary.honey-frames-O.

Extending completely around the working-chamber, and at soule distance from the Wallslthereof, is a screen, I, of fine wire cloth, which prevents the bees escaping from said-chamber, and also permits the air to circulate freely around it.

The screen P is maintained in its proper position by the cleats p p', which are secured to the floor K.

The hive is ventilated in the following manner:

The ends of the housing H are provided, near the top of the hive, `with a number of apertures, h, whose inner ends are covered with wire cloth It, so as to prevent bees and vermin entering from the outside of the hive.

The apertures h are arranged on a circle, which is concentric with the pivot s of the register S, and the inner side oi' said register is provided with radial channels T, which correspond in number and position with the apertures h,- and it will be seen that when the register is set, as shown in iig. l, the warm air can escape from the hive, and at the same time no light is` admitted. l

lf at any time it should be desired to stop the ventilation of the hive, it can be cectcd by simply rotating the register to the position shown in fig. 4, in whichposition the apertures and the channels-are no longer in communication with each other, and ofcourse there can heno escape of air through said apertures.

A modification of my working-chamber may have the screen P secured to the ends ofthe walls L L', and not extend completely around them, as shown, but I prefer the arrangement as exhibited, on account of the facility with which the frames can be removed, as it is only necessary to elevate the screen, and as the working-chamber-is then open at both ends, the frames can be taken out in a few minutes.

I do not claim attaching a screen to one side of a honey-box, as shown in the patent of T. F. Bingham, November 17, 1863.

My method of securing the doors of the breedingchamber is a great advantage to a bee-hive, as it not only prevents their warping, but it also excludes light and vermin, and when the housing is elevated, as shown in iig. 5, the doors can be detached in a moment, thus 3. Securing the doors G G to the hive, by means ofthe C O', D D', d al',

of the breeding-chamber rebated sides B b b', legs and housing H, for the purpose herein explained.

In testimony of which invention, Ihereunto set my hand. v

JOHN WOOD. Witnesses:

O. KMGHT,

JAMES H. LAYMAN. 

